Superstar Rajinikanth- The Phenomenon!

It was 1.30 pm. I kept starring at this thin guy as i walked into the lecture hall. I have seen him on numerous occasions, never have i initiated a conversation despite my inner desire to talk to him. This time i sat next to him and i was waiting before i could actually start off a conversation. Suddenly out of the blue his phone rang " Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalali.." and he started talking in Japanese! I was just stunned for a moment but to my disbelief this paved the way for a wonderful friendship. Its been almost a year since that day and we are still good friends. The one thing common between the Japanese guy and this Indian beyond wildest dreams is "Rajinism".

Superstar Rajinikanth. The name resonates a sense of style, a sense of awe-inspiring persona & a sense of hope. Style is often something that always fascinates me as it is not something that you can attribute to anyone and everyone. It has to be intrinsic as well as extrinsic.It has to come within yet reflect a sense of grandeur and class on the outside. Style is not just mannerism, Style is not just rambling about some useless dialogue. Style is about evoking a sense of aura around one self, Style is about exhibiting class around; Style is about evoking a sense of adrenaline pumping through you so much so that you see yourself doing exactly what the actor does. When he pulls the oonjal down using his cloth with such dashing power in Padayappa, the adrenaline pumps! When he says in Baasha that "Nallavangala aandavan sodippa, kaivida mattan..", class is exhibited! When the mottai boss comes out in Shivaji as MGR, the word presence & aura are redefined! The cumulative effect of all these qualities makes Rajni the style icon that he is today.

To me, Rajini the persona in real life is as appealing, if not more, than reel life. If such style can be exhibited & mass appeal earned on the outside, intrinsically one has to be pure. To be intrinsically pure, one has to be simple, innately harmless & humble and to achieve this he has to surrender to the almighty; that is the bedrock of Rajini's super stardom. The irony is that Rajini's mass image skyrocketed to its peak in the 1990's but thats when he started becoming bald, thats when he left the inhibitions of a star, thats when he lost the looks that so called "defines" stars. One thing that propelled during that time is his spiritual growth, his intrinsic purity got more enhanced, his extrinsic stardom propelled like a rocket.

Tell me one actor in World Cinema, leave Indian Cinema, who has the balls to come outside with a bald head, grey beard in every single public outing? And yet demand such popularity? Never ever do you see such humility in any actor or any other public figure in modern India. His ability to be humble ensures that he is always not making castles in stratosphere but is firmly rooted to earth.Critics might argue that he had a nervous breakdown during the beginning of his career but who doesnt fall in life? He is no saint is he? Failing is not a big deal but rising like a horse to superstardom despite the fall defines the greatness of thalaivar. The ability to shut the rut out and come back pure and pristine is great; to sustain it is legendary. Complete surrender to the almighty in all aspects of his life make's him immune to the artificiality that cinema industry offers, it makes him pure, humble & simple; it makes his persona a bigger blockbuster hit than a Padayappa or a Baasha!

Rajini is not a cinematic genius like Kamal; he has the guts to tell the world he is not. Rajini is not from a big family like Amitabh Bachchan; yet he has risen to be the highest paid actor in Indian cinema. Rajini does not have the marketing acumen of an Aamir Khan yet his movies are blockbusters that the Khans envy of. Rajini does not have a pan Indian appeal; he has a global appeal that transcends language barriers in countries like Japan, Korea & France. All his contempories above are in awe of Rajini, yet Thalaivar would be in awe of all of them not himself.Rajini has the ability to create a sense of hope within the common man that one can reach the pinnacle of stardom with his hardwork & values irrespective of their background; that is the epitome of greatness.

Rajinikanth's superstardom on the extrinsic level is derived from the intrinsic qualities within; thats what makes him a legend!

My Japanese friend called me up yesterday and said " Dude, Thalaivar's movie first day first show in LA?". I said "Hell yeah". And he says "Not in Tamil but in Japanese in a Japanese theatre in LA!!". So essentially I am going to watch Robot in Japanese & Tamil in a foreign land called America.

Now thats what you call a global phenomenon, Pera Kettonae Chumma Adhurudulla!

Thalaiva nee vazhga!!

The Big Fat South Indian Wedding!!

I wrote this on my return flight journey from Madras to LA because I promised a distant cousin of mine, who is actually working in the army, I will actually write something on this. I met her after almost ten years during my first cousin’s marriage last week and my conversation with her during the event triggered off my thought process to write this:

“The past few days of the week have been insanely hectic. The agenda on the table was my first cousin’s marriage and the impending functions before and after the marriage. The two days of festivities were immensely engrossing, unexpectedly tiring & remarkably blissful. Grandeur, Splendour, Vibrancy, Family togetherness are often adjectives that are described with respect to an Indian wedding; now in this era there is one more term called Artificiality.

The term above would at first instant make people ire at me. In today’s world, these events have sometimes become mere show pieces of the gloated egos and statuses of families. It has become a get together function for the different “nuclear” sections within families rather than one where the entire family in unison is “part” of the event. It has become an event where you meet up someone who is supposedly related to you but you have never seen him all your life. It has become an event where all people give a damn about is whether the concert by Nityashree was good or the menu served by some big shot caterer had variety or not. It has become an event which shows more wealth than heart, rarely the combination of both.

My point is that the emphasis should not be on the flashiness involving music concerts, big shot food caterers, major VIP’s thronging the venue with their high profile guests. The emphasis should be on the feature that is most important to the family; the unity with which every member of the family contributes to the cause & the ritualism in the ceremonies. If someone is going through this event, then I assume that person has some iota of belief in what I have mentioned above. If ritualism is not given focus, what is the difference between a kitty party and a wedding? I don’t think it’s completely neglected today but I think it’s compromised, rather not given as much priority. Just because it’s boring for people who are watching it & has no mass appeal, it doesn’t mean it has to be taken for a toss. It is the crucial bondage between the lead couple that helps them through their lives, not the flashy hoolala “add-ons” that take center stage today.

Furthermore, one more irritating aspect is the complete dominance of these so called “caterers/managers” who take charge of literally everything that happens in the wedding. This act of convenience by us, albeit due to the presence of our ever-growing financial clout, leads to the complete dilution of the family element in the wedding. Instead of completely helping out, most of the extended family does all the trash talk during the days of the wedding. Essentially the purpose of showing family unison in organizing the event is eroded.

The point of weddings of the yester years was that it brought the entire family together to “work” for a definitive purpose. Everyone came from various parts of India with their families (which were pretty huge) and helped for the cause during those 4 to 5 days. Some cooked the food, Some helped in making logistical arrangements, Some helped in decorating the venue, Some helped in serving & welcoming the guests. Now all these “some’s” are done cumulatively in an artificial way by someone who has no connection to the family.

An Indian wedding is not just a ceremony between two people, it’s a confluence of two families, multitudes of generations. Can’t we allocate some part of our “busy” time to facilitate and help around in the process that is so essential to our culture? I am not saying we should be completely independent of these “manager’s” but we can take some of their workload on our own right?Can't we use this as an opportunity to gel within the family, with whom most of us are either alienated or out of touch? Can’t the emphasis be more on ceremonial aspects rather than the add-ons which have become the essential items? Can’t we make the event, that epitomises the celebration of our heritage & culture, more pristine and more importantly naturalized?

Can't we conduct such events to satisfy us & not the rest of the world?

I bet we can; only if we spend some time thinking about it.”

I mailed this to my distant cousin after landing in LA and she replied saying “Dude, it’s nice but you didn’t mention the dinner menu anywhere that was the only thing that I was bothered about that day!”

And I told myself with a sigh & a spontaneous yet reluctant smile “No comments!”

Dear Dr Manmohan Singh:

Again one more old FB post, putting it here, hope it is decent:


Dear Sir..

Before I begin, I would like to say that I have the highest regard for you as a person and I am a huge admirer of your academic and intellectual pursuits. The values of integrity and honour that you embody are an inspiration to me as well as millions of people. I am a critique & non admirer of the political party that you represent but I am a staunch admirer of the values that you as an individual embody.

In this era of modernized India, when our GDP is almost soaring almost at 10%, I feel a sense of immense pride & off late an immense amount of pain as well. I vouch for my nation wherever i go, with people whom i interact in my education abroad or with people who belong to the NRI category (Never Return to India).I have always done this with such immense joy & optimism because i feel my country is rising despite the system, i feel my country is bringing the perfect blend of culture & development, i feel my India is a land of immortality. But today i felt let down.

Mr Kalmadi makes a joke out of himself telling in a press conference that an umbrella for the CWG(Commonwealth Games) cost Rs 6300, inflation has caused the budget to skyrocket 17.5 times than the original estimate, that an Australian based company(SMAM-sponsorship recruiters) is going to get Rs 243 crores for doing NOTHING in the sponsorship arena & the list goes on. The sports minister tells the people that this is a "punjabi" wedding. An ex-sports minister is taking full advantage of this and using it for his own justification of his " i wont be happy if the games succeed" taunt that he gave a week back. Where will this end sir?

I dont have an answer to this question sir.

The media circus that encircles this mess is a shame in itself.Times Now & Headlines Today have stooped down to such shocking levels of national carnage projecting themselves to be as pure as Lord Buddha & the "whole" CWG as convicts.Arnab Goswami( despite the fact i am a big fan of him) and his channel's assault on the games is so irresponsible and ridiculous.They accuse, defame and convict someone in sequential order according to their needs and their own personal vendetta against the people who run the show.It is admirable that they expose corruption( if its proven) but the need for 24/7 barraging of ruining CWG is uncalled for.

Just because Kalmadi snubbed the media, do you go on a slug-fest to worsen the shattered image of the CWG? I ask myself where were the media all this while for the past 6 yrs? Where did the sudden urge to "clean up" the mess come from just 60 days short of the event? Don't they even think of our top athletes who are the crux of the games, who are preparing ever so hard for the games?.

I dont have answers to these questions sir.

Sir, the entire nexus of rotten public administration coupled with agenda driven, sensationalism obsessed media has let the nation down. This entire fiasco gives ample opportunity for the critics of rising india to point the finger right on us. The corporate sector is thriving whereas the public sector is minting money shamelessly.

Though i never will have the stature nor pedigree to suggest anything, I have a few humble suggestions to make sir:

1) The top brass of the CWG including Mr Suresh Kalmadi should be sacked pending inquiry by an independent foreign agency.The support system would be kept, so the functioning of the Games wont be affected in the broader sense.

2) Bring in vibrant young politicians like Rahul Gandhi & Arun Jaitley ( he atleast runs DDCA and has some experience in stadium infrastructure) to set up a multi- party task force including the leaders of the corporate world to oversee the games for the next 60 days. It has to be inclusive involving the main opposition party so as to cut of political hurdles in getting the work done.

3) Direct Ms Ambika Soni, Minister for Broadcasting to take all these head's of these news channels for a discussion & assurance to stem the rot after the Games. Urge them to focus on the positives of the games, to create an aura of positivity. Political pressure should be put on them ( for something good) to stop their negativity.

4) Bring out stars of the sporting arena and focus on their preparations of the games. Divert all the hysteria and sensationalism away from affecting the performance of the athletes. Get the Bollywood bigwigs to promote the games as much as they did waving day in day out like dolls in the IPL.

5) While the focus is on the athletes and the positive nature of the games, the other works involving the last minute preparations of the games can be done without any media attention . Some sort of damage control can be done, even though it seems too late.

My views had to be presented to you sir. It might sound trivial & might not be implementable. After all I am no minister's son, I am no prominent public figure, I am no media big shot, I am no billionaire ,I am no Nobel Laureate.

I am just the bleeding common man; in search of the answers to my questions & in search of the values that you embody within the public system.

Sriram

Lessons from Independence for every INDIAN- Pride and Purpose

This was something that i had written for Independence Day on my Facebook notes and people liked it, so i thought i will put it here one more time:

It was not just another day yesterday.

"Sunday is a very special day Sriram. Your grandfather was fighting the British in the army & I was in the small town of Mannargudi in Tamil Nadu; the separation caused by distance was overwhelmed by the unifying cause.The one thing that connected the hearts of your grandfather & myself is the joy created by the day of Independence, August 15 1947". She continues "I dont know about your generation but our pride & purpose was so strong".The conversation continued before she slept.This as usual triggered off my thought process onto another level and i started writing into the night...

" My first reaction to this was an emotional connect. A deep sense of pride that people of my lineage had actually been part of such a legacy. My second reaction was how much we had progressed since then. Plethora of world class industrial infrastructure developments, rapidly improving technology, world class communication devices; the thought that India has carved a niche for itself in the global arena and the beaming sense of pride that India is indeed on the verge of global dominance in the coming century. My third reaction was of what actually independence means to us. As time conquered the night, i started to question what actually independence means to us in this modern world.

In an age of technological surge and globalisationomania, i wondered how many people actually felt a sense of purpose about it. Pride is there for everyone on that day but purpose is a totally different ball game altogether.To those warriors in 1947, India was the only home. In general for the NRI's (i am one on and off) India is seen physically only during the weekly break in december when they come down for"holiday". Wishing people on Facebook, wishing their fellow clans in their cities, a few will do the symbolic flag raising & there ends the story. No matter how much they disagree, the fact is their physical absence in the nation will mostly cause them not to have a definitive purpose. Definitive pride yes, definite purpose no.For the Indian who is living in India, the sense of purpose is degenerated by the public system and the breeding bacteria called crass commercial cinema. Do you find ANY channel in television that actually has anything socially productive on their shows during Independence day? mostly NONE. The only thing that is common is women flashing their sexuality in the name of cinema songs and the plethora of useless movies/tv shows that run across the day. These things not only fill your mind with rot but it doesnt trigger of any sense of purpose within the already contorted mind of the indian. They completley smash the "purpose" factor for a toss.

Even if a purpose is engineered, there are these cynical fools who think that the execution in todays rotten Indian public administration is considered impossible, so no point thinking about the purpose is their stance. I agree that corruption is a big de-motivator for people to indulge in such activities. Just because the road has various potholes, does it mean we dont travel on the road? We can atleast try, cant we or do we need to be given a hike in salary to actually make us "try" to be socially productive?

Leave alone looking at the national system, why cant one treat it as an opportunity to create a sense of purpose within ones life?

This would be the perfect opportunity to bring back the ethos of our independence movement into our day to day lives. This would not only enhance the individual but the overall approach of the family and hence the nation in the long run. For once if we can sit and think about the values such as simplicity, patience & honesty that the great people of the independence movement stood for, you will be shocked.Shocked to see how much we have gotten away from them.Shocked to see how disgusting, shortsighted and filthy our thoughts have become.

Even from a materialistic point of view, these values help us in day to day lives:

1)The simplicity of Gandhi that existed will help us when we get fired from our job's and are looking for live a life of austerity.

2)The bravery of Bhagat Singh will help us to overcome odds to go up the ladder at work & will give us the strength to take on all the complications within our family network.

3)The honesty of C.Rajagopalachari will help us to earn respect which cannot be bought but can only be earned.

4) The selfless nature of Lal Bahadur Sastri teaches us the need to give back to the society.

All of these values from these great men and other freedom fighters will help to streamline our life and make it more pristine.

We need independence from the naivety of knowledge of our culture; to realise the immense history of our land of sanathana dharma (99 percent of you reading this would ask me what the hell does this term mean?). We need independence from the thought of who to "sacrifice" to move ahead in life materialistically so as to ensure the word "sacrifice" is equated to selflessness. We need independence from the addiction to impatience; patience should be a virtue as in Gandhi's legacy.We need independence from the rule of state's in the country by corrupt dynastic political maniac's so as to ensure nobility at the top.We need to use this as an opportunity for introspection within the nation and also within ourselves; as in 1947, it needs to be a beacon of light to start the process of creating a new world.We need independence from all the above using the values & principles that our independence from the British taught us on August 15,1947.

We need to have pride and a sense of purpose towards the nation & the individual on this day; there can be no other better tribute to the fighters of August 15,1947 on August 15,2010."

The next morning i show the text above to my grandmother and she says eloquently "This tells that even after 63 yrs, the hope for a sense of pride & purpose still exists with your generation either dormantly or actively, this ever lasting beacon of hope & light across generations is the eternal beauty of India".

That is the eternal beauty of OUR India.

Jai Hind

Wishing all my fellow Indians a very Happy Independence day!



First Post!

Never ever thought i would get into this blogging business, but finally circumstances have pushed me into it! Hope my views on various issues evokes a sense of constructive discussion in this forum!

Thanks

Sriram